The research proposed here is aimed at developing new chemical reaction methods for the synthesis of carbocyclic and heterocyclic ring systems of the type found in naturally occurring and physiologically active molecules, and to carry out experiments aimed at understanding how these reaction methods work. The proposal is divided into two parts. The first involves the development of cyclization and cyclo-oligomerization reactions of organic systems catalyzed by transition metal organometallic complexes. Plans to apply these methods to the synthesis of a number of biologically important molecules (such as prostaglandins, which are hormone-like substances having a wide range of physiological effects, and derivatives of pyrimidine bases, many of which are known to be anti-tumor agents) are outlined in this section. In the second part of the proposal, experiments are described aimed at using micelles (aggregates of amphiphilic, surface-active molecules) for the catalysis of organic cyclization reactions, as well as for developing efficient catalytic asymmetric induction methods. Micelles resemble both enzymes and membranes in their structure and chemical behavior; it is hoped that our studies will provide model-system-type information applicable to more complex biological systems.